Celtic Thunder

The devil-spawn of Michael Flatley and the Irish Tenors, Celtic Thunder is the male counterpart to Celtic Woman's Hibernian estrogen-fest. Five male singers work themselves into a lather on song after song, engaging in Broadway-worthy crescendos that have only the most cursory connection to Irish music. But that's not the point. Celtic Thunder traffics in an idea of Ireland that's poignant to many: Ireland as a place of lonely hills, high winds, and strong yet sentimental (and apparently humorless, which is just so wrong) people. The dream endures, as the success of this album demonstrates.